


Magic Men

by Andian



Series: A Kind Of Magic [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Curse Breaking, Gen, M/M, Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-09 01:03:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4327890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andian/pseuds/Andian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The NHL had strict rules about magic but Sasha had never thought that they would apply to him one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic Men

The antlers were impressive. Sasha had to admit that. Huge, almost gigantically so, they felt firm and hard against his fingers when Sasha carefully touched them, his skin slightly itching when he touched the part where they were growing out of his head. They would make it rather difficult to wear a helmet for the game tonight, Sasha also had to admit. Not to mention that with such an obvious curse there was no way they’d let him on the ice in the first place. 

Sasha spent a moment to curse the NHL and its regulation for magic and then tried to think of what he should do now. 

“Oh, fuck, what the hell did you do now?” Well, expect for texting Nicky to come over. Sasha waved at Nicky’s general direction and kept staring into the hotel room mirror. Maybe, he thought, he could try cutting them off. It probably wouldn’t remove them completely but he might be able to bypass some of the stricter regulations the NHL had for magical enhancements. Somewhat fondly he thought back to the two weeks Zhenya had played with filed off horns.

“It’s not my fault,” he then said, belated deciding to react to Nicky, who was standing next to him, arms crossed and staring at him with a unbelieving expression. “Wards failed probably. Chicago sucks with magic.”

It was unfair to Chicago and probably also untrue. Sasha would be the first to admit that his ability to recognize the presence of magic was non-existent, beside some experts going on about how even people with no magical abilities were at least somewhat tuned into it. Sasha ability when it came to recognizing and interacting with magic however was limited to teasing Nicky when he made it snow again in the locker room and to tell Wilson to reverse whatever he had done to make the pucks move on their own.

From the way Nicky was still looking at him, he also was aware of this. “Stop being angry, start helping,” Sasha said and Nicky let out a groan before sinking down on Sasha’s bed, rubbing his temples. Sasha wondered if he should go and fetch towels. This looked like accidental rain storm mood.

“Did you call the medical team?” Nicky asked. 

“Is back in Washington, still trying to solve the unicorn thing.” Nicky made an involuntary grimace and Sasha inwardly agreed. Some parts of the locker room were still glittering and if he ever found out who brought the fairy dust in there’d be hell to pay. The people responsible for the magical aspects of keeping the team healthy and playing were still back home and trying to fix it. 

“So no doctor and there is no way the will let you on the ice with those … those things.” Nicky said, gesturing at Sasha’s head. For a man who played on a national team with somebody who was able to turn himself into an ice bear, he wasn’t very tolerant, Sasha decided, feeling a bit hurt. As much as him missing the game would hurt them, considering they were on their run for a playoff spot, he thought that the antlers were at least a somewhat unique and pretty amazing reason. 

It was at least something different from the usual de-aging or animal-transformation curses that were usual for magical sabotages in professional sports. Also at least the curse was limited to Sasha. That one time the entire Nashville team including half of their farm teams had been turned in somewhat cute yet deeply terrifying extinct animals had wrecked hell with their playoff chances.

“The fact that they look cool is not helping.” Nicky knew him too well. Sasha offered a somewhat apologetic grin before reaching determined for his phone. 

“Don’t fear, have plan,” he said and Nicky huffed and closed his mouth, a single snowflake slowly falling on the bed.

The next half hour Sasha spent furiously texting and using all of his impressive contacts and influence. At least that was what he told Nicky. In reality it was him texting Zhenya, hoping he had already forgotten about the DVD of _Horns_ Sasha had sent him, and then waiting for him to pretend that he wasn’t already in the same place as Crosby. He got a message with the address while playing Candy Crush and trying to convince Nicky that the sausages he had ordered for breakfast to his room really were as tasty as Sasha said. They very much weren’t but he had been that close to get Nicky to at least try one when his phone interrupted them.

Sasha raised one finger to stop Nicky’s argument that Sasha would have eaten more than just one half if they really were that good. He didn’t recognize the number nor the surprisingly correct writing, something usually missing when he and Zhenya texted in English. He frowned for a moment before seeing that the message ended with a vague thread and Crosby’s name.

“We can go now. Time to fix this,” he said, putting his phone away. He was halfway to the door when he was interrupted by Nicky coughing.

“This won’t work,” he said flatly, pointing at Sasha’s head. Or the antlers to be precisely. Which Sasha had kind of forgotten about. Though Nicky was probably right, going out with the antlers was the best way to get noticed in the worst ways.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re planning?” Nicky asked. Sasha had considered it but had decided against it because he already knew Nicky wouldn’t like the plan. He just smiled and shrugged which was met with another unimpressed look. At least Nicky also reached for his phone and started typing a number. 

Sasha turned to the mirror while Nicky was talking, reaching for a shirt and trying to wrap it around his head to hide the antlers. It didn’t work. It very much didn’t work. He went through the list of magic enablers on the team but neither wings nor the ability to talk to plants would help him much in this situation. And after the thing with the living pucks Wilson, who was the closest thing the Caps had to an outright magic user instead of just somebody who had limited magic abilities, was banned from doing any magic on road trips.

There was admittedly a higher average of magic enablers in the NHL but in reality there wasn’t much use you could actually get out of being able to melt things or grow fangs. Not even for hockey, no matter how many people still said that Crosby’s unknown magical abilities were the only reason for his hockey skills. Sasha privately and not so privately thought that he was one of the best arguments against this line of thoughts.

“We can go,” Nicky interrupted his musing and Sasha looked at him questioning. 

“Private car service, we will get wherever you want us to go without anybody noticing. It will be here in a few minutes.”

“Expect through the hotel,” Sasha pointed out and Nicky just smirked and pushed Sasha to the door. 

“Don’t worry about that,” he said, voice sounding pleasant in a way that usually meant that they were one down in the last few minutes of the third period and he was seeing a way to still end this in their favor.

Sasha decided that it was probably the best to just go along with whatever Nicky was going for. He still stopped however on the hallway, checking if anybody was on the floor.

“Go, this will work much better outside of the room,” Nicky said behind him. Sasha hesitated. The moment the antlers-thing got out in the open it would be open season for every magic user who could come up with two parts of a curse and who had a grudge against the team. The first rule in magic and in sports Sasha had learnt as a captain, was not so much as to actually be invincible but rather to appear like you were. And there was a limit to the amount of wards against curses the team could take before it would affect them. And some things still would get through. As evidenced by the antlers.

“They had a car really close by, come on.” But then, Sasha thought as he stepped out of his room, ducking a bit to not knock his antlers against the door, he did trust Nicky. 

Nicky followed him, quickly looking up and down the hallway, seemingly satisfied with the lack of people. Then he raised his hands.

Sasha stared at him, wondering if the antlers maybe weren’t the only curse that had been put on the team. Nothing happened for a few moments and Sasha could feel his anxiety grow. One person with a phone and he didn’t had to be a Staal to predict the headlines ESPN and Deadspin would have up in a few hours. 

Nervously he looked down the hallway again. Was there somebody moving, he wondered. At the third door away from Sasha’s room possibly, though he wouldn’t be able to tell considering he couldn’t make out anything after it with the thick fog…

Oh, Sasha thought. The fog thickened and now he couldn’t even really make out the door a few steps away from them. He looked at Nicky who still had his hands raised and was radiating smug satisfaction and also fog. Well, it was sort of impressive, Sasha had to admit. 

“That should stick until we’re out of the hotel,” Nicky said and Sasha just nodded as they made their way down the stairs and through the lobby where he could hear somebody trying to calm a few panicked voice.

He felt slightly guilty about it but Nicky just shook his head.

“It will be gone in a few moments,” he said. “It’s just fog. Let’s hope we won’t need it on the way back.” Sasha also hoped that.

They made their way into the street, Nicky’s fog following them and effectively shielding them from curious bystanders and camera phones. Nicky waved his hand around a bit, a small path opening up in front of them, changing its place until Sasha could see a black car door. 

Sasha got in first, having to twist his head to get the antlers through the door, handing his phone to the driver so he could type in the address from the message. Then he leant back and smiled at Nicky. 

“Not bad,” he said and Nicky smiled back.

“This better be worth it. I don’t want any articles about the Caps destroying their hotel with magic,” Nicky said. 

Sasha shrugged. “It’s going to work. I have good contacts. Better think about game tonight.”

It was a blatant attempt to change the topic but in a show of goodwill Nicky let it worked and they spent the rest of the drive talking about Crawford’s weak spots.

They were lucky, when the car stopped and Sasha had paid the driver an impressive tip with the already impressive fare, the underground parking garage was empty. The driver just nodded and wished them a good day, not looking at the antlers once. Sasha just hoped that he had seen stranger things than two hockey player appearing in a cloud of fog and with animal traits in the early morning.

Sasha walked over to the elevator which had a keypad and typed in the number that had come with the address. There was a moment where nothing happened then the elevator opened and Sasha and Nicky stepped in, Nicky looking more suspicious with every passing moment.

Silently they watched the floors passing them for a moment. Then Nicky suddenly groaned. Loudly. 

“Please tell me you didn’t…” Sasha was spared an explanation thanks to the elevator opening and he escaping into the hallway. He was ringing at the door right to it before Nicky could say anything else.

“Do you really think Toews is going to help us?” Nicky hissed at him as they waited for the door to open.

Sasha shrugged. It was worth the try and the fact that Chicago had to resort to dirty tricks to win against the Caps wouldn’t say anything good about the team. At least that would be what Sasha was going to imply.

Either way, he was not leaving with his antlers intact and Toews still being able to look him in the eyes off of the ice anymore. 

Or maybe Patrick Kane, Sasha corrected himself when the door opened. Maybe Patrick Kane wouldn’t be able to look him in the eyes anymore.

Sasha and Nicky stared at a moment at the man who had just opened the door to Toews’ apartment. Patrick Kane stared back, actually did blink at them a few times. His hair looked like he had just woken up and the trousers he was wearing were too big for him. Well, Sasha thought, he wasn’t one to presume. And also not one to judge about what said presumptions implied. 

So he just smiled winningly at Patrick Kane.

“Hello, is captain there? Need help,” he said. And pointed, probably unnecessarily, at the antlers.  
Patrick Kane blinked once more, letting his glance wander from Sasha and Nicky up to Sasha’s head and further. 

“Uh, well,” he started, still staring at the antlers. “I don’t… come in?” It was as good an invitation as Sasha figured they were going to get and he grabbed Nicky’s arm, and walked into the room.

“Pat, who was it?” Inside the living room they were greeted with the sight of a half-naked Jonathan Toews, looking equally sleep-rumbled as Kane did, though with more fitting pants and less shirt. He looked surprised when he saw them, which wasn’t very surprising to Sasha.

“The enemy,” Kane proclaimed in an overdramatic voice, closing the door behind Nicky. Toews threw him a dark look before focusing his attention and equally dark look back on Nicky and Sasha. And on the antlers.

Sasha moved his head and the antlers slightly, hoping it would serve as an explanation for why they were here. From the way Toews looked even more angry it obviously did.

“Magic doctor is in Washington, were there when I woke up, hope that you can help because I’m sure that you want to play us without people saying Chicago playing unfair.” Some extra words surely couldn’t hurt though, Sasha figured.

Toews let out a sigh.

“I’ll see what I can do. Let me get some stuff,” he then said, leaving the room. Kane flopped down on a chair, obviously having gotten over the first shock and now shamelessly staring at the antlers.

“They’re pretty cool though,” he said. “Sit down, this is going to take a bit. Jonny keeps all the magic stuff things in his spare room. Says it’s unhygienic.” There was a level of familiarity hidden behind those words that answered a few questions Sasha couldn’t have helped wondering about. 

He sat down on the couch, Nicky next to him. Kane grinned at them, reaching for a cup that was on the couch table.

“Didn’t you had one guy on your team who was like a witch?” he asked.

“Yes, but he is a good hockey player and not a very good witch,” Nicky answered and Kane laughed.

“Yeah, did you hear about what that one rookie accidentally did to the Jacket’s cannon? Good thing they had a few extra charms before it could eat anybody. Jonny’s harmless though as long as you keep him away from beans and balsamic.”

There was a level of bizarreness to sitting in Toews’ living room and making small-talk with Kane while waiting for something that basically amounted to removing a limb. Sasha wasn’t quite sure if Toews returning made the situation better. At least he now was wearing a shirt.

“Okay, you said they were already there when you woke up?” Jonny put a box on the kitchen counter before coming over and touching the antlers.

Sasha flinched a bit. It didn’t feel weird, it didn’t felt like anything actually but something about it still unsettled him.

“Yes. Pillow all teared up,” he said. 

“Hmm,” Jonny mumbled thoughtfully, hand still feeling slowly over the antler. 

“We’re going to try the usual and hope it will be enough. They seem rather real. If they were an illusion or something weaker the proximity to Patrick would have already broken the curse.”

“Natural anti-magic resistance,” Patrick said proudly, as if the entire NHL and probably half the world didn’t already know. The pride suddenly turned into a frown though. “Hey, how did you even know where we were living?” Kane asked.

“Called Zhenya, Malkin for you, who asked Crosby, who had some really rude words about not messing with Team Canada but also gave us the address,” Sasha said.

“And I wondered if Sidney had gone completely crazy. He could have at least explained why he asked for my address,” Toews said back at the kitchen counter where he had started mixing several things from his kitchen cupboards together.

“Here, drink that,” Toews then said, coming back and shoving a glass of something yellow into Sasha hand. Sasha looked at it suspiciously before seeing Nicky’s raised eyebrow and Kane's wide grin. With an inaudible sigh he put the glass to his mouth and took a sip. He almost spit it out when he tasted it. 

“Hell,” he choked out, “What is it with you Canadians and maple syrup?” Toews threw him a truly impressive unimpressed look.

“It's a good basis for potions,” he said. “Makes it easier for the magic to settle.”

“Trust me,” Kane said, “You’re going to wish it tasted like this when the real stuff comes out. Worse than kale smoothies.”

Sasha wasn’t sure anything could taste worse than what he was currently drinking. It tasted like somebody had mixed a pound of sugar with honey and then dissolved the result in maple syrup. One spoon of sugar more and Sasha wasn’t sure if it could still count as a liquid.

Still he forced himself to swallow it, Nicky looking at him slightly worried. 

“You okay?” he asked when Sasha had finished and couldn’t quite keep the look of disgust from his face.

“He is okay,” Toews answered for him, once again throwing stuff into his mixer. Sasha saw him throwing in some tomato juice and suddenly the room started smelling like lemons. He wondered if this really had been such a good idea. People doing magic with potions weren’t that rare but unexpected side-effects or result of using potions weren’t either. There was more than one horror movie dealing with the consequences of using strange potions. Out of the corner of his eyes though he could see Nicky smiling encouragingly at him and he suddenly remembered that there were also a lot of rom-coms involving potions.

“This now for the real magic,” Toews said, another glass with another menacing content appearing in front of Sasha. It was blue, bright blue and small bubbles appeared on the top that smelled like burnt toast when they popped.

“Don’t worry,” Toews said, slightly misinterpreting his look. “I put some Gatorade in it, it sometimes helps with the taste.”

“Come on, how bad can it be?” Nicky said and nodded towards the drink because he was a dick and also not the one who had to drink it.

It helped a bit though and Sasha took a deep breath and then hold it while lifting the glass to his mouth.

It didn’t taste like Gatorade. It thankfully also didn’t taste like it looked though. The taste filling Sasha’s mouth when he swallowed was slightly bitter and minty. It reminded Sasha of the cough syrup his mother would give him when he was younger. He managed to drink the rest of the glass. When he put it down all the other three man inside the room started at him expectantly.

“Did it work?” he asked, hand coming up to feel for the antlers. They were still there. They still felt very real. He let his hand fall down again. Nicky looked at him with sympathy. 

“I don’t get it, it’s the strongest stuff I have against transformations,” Tows said. “It usually solves everything expect when…” He stopped himself and then quickly made his way to the box still on the kitchen counter, mumbling something under his breath.

Kane looked at his back with slight worry. “Jonny,” he said, “Maybe you should leave it alone. You remember what the brownies did to Duncs, right?”

Instead of an answer, Toews triumphantly raised a small bottle. Kane’s eyebrows shot up, seemingly recognizing it.

“Fingernail,” Toews said. Sasha stared at him in confusion. “Show me your fingernail,” Toews said, sounding impatient. “Your left pinkie,” he added and Sasha was too deep in when he didn’t question this and just raised his left hand for Toews.

Toews took his hand, opened the bottle with his other and then carefully dripped a single drop on Sasha’s fingernail.

The effect was immediate and Sasha’s fingernail turned pink.

“Hah!” Jonny sounded satisfied. “It’s task-bounded!” 

“Huh?” Nicky looked confused enough for the both of them.

“Like Briar Rose,” Kane explained. “You know, that one princess who got cursed and couldn’t wake up until somebody kissed her?” He stopped when the rest of the room just looked at him. 

“What,” he said, sounding defensive. “I sometimes watch history documentaries.” 

“So somebody needs to kiss him?” Nicky asked, nodding into Sasha’s direction. Toews shook his head.

“It’s not that easy. It’s something that needs to be done for the curse to be lifted. Sometimes it’s easy like a kiss, other time’s it can be something difficult. ” He shrugged. “Like some people said Jagr couldn’t cut his hair until he won the cup. Stuff like that. Or maybe realizing something. Nothing I can do. Sorry.” 

The antlers not disappearing until he won the Cup was the worst possible outcome. Especially since there was no way he’d be allowed to play with them. Kane must have noticed his dejected expression.

“Don’t worry, I got cursed to not be able to talk until Jonny…” he stopped himself, suddenly flushing red. Toews looked slightly embarrassed and Sasha considered this their cue to leave.

“Okay,” he said, “Thanks for help. Still going to win tonight though, even without me.” Toews had looked genuinely upset about not being able to help, either due to some true sportsman thing or because whoever put the curse on him had just won over Toews’ own magic abilities. He smiled weakly though at the chirp.

“You wish,” Kane chirped back and Sasha appreciated the effort. Toews led them to the door. 

“I’m sure there are experts who can help you,” he said, nodding at the antlers. “It might take a bit of time but…” he stopped himself, probably realizing that he wasn’t really helping. “Well, until tonight,” he then said, more to Nicky then to him and Sasha kind of really hated whoever put the antlers on his head right now. 

He kept it to himself until they were in the hallway though where he then groaned and let his head fall back. Tried to at least, the antlers were preventing him from really doing it. Nicky put his hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe they’ll make an exception for you,” he said. “They made an exception for Seguin that one time.”

“Seguin was still human though. Just with woman parts,” Sasha said, feeling miserably. The hand on his shoulder tightened in sympathy. It made Sasha feel better, at least a tiny bit.

He turned to smile weakly at Nicky who smiled back and thought to himself that at least Nicky had been there to help him. Everything, even stuff Sasha hated seemed to become instantly more bearable when Nicky was involved in some way, Sasha suddenly thought. It was a nice realization to have, he decided.

Suddenly Nicky raised his hand and touched the antlers. Sasha didn’t flinch back this time, not expecting the touch but not really minding it either for some unclear reason. It felt right in a way Sasha couldn’t really explain.

“At least they are somewhat cool,” Nicky said, feeling down one of them. Sasha felt something hot and not entirely unexpected flushing through him and then suddenly a weight shifting on his head.

He saw something brown falling out of the corner of his eyes and when he looked down he at first didn’t recognized the antler lying at his feet. He stared confused at them, heard a faint curse coming from Nicky who then suddenly grabbed the other antler and pulled and then another weight suddenly disappeared and Nicky stood there, holding the other antler in his hand.

“That was …. that is,” Nicky stammered and Sasha suddenly had to laugh, loud and relieved.

“Magic hands,” he said, smiling broadly at Nicky. “Got magic hands.” And if it was a rom-com he supposed this would be the point where they would kiss but he’d take the hug and the potential win tonight. 

For now.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me here on [Tumblr](http://www.snow-den.tumblr.com/).


End file.
